1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical contact which can be used for various connectors and a method for forming the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, connector contacts are formed by pressing or punching a metal blank (electrically conductive plate). However, since a contact formed by such a conventional pressing (or punching) process leaves an irregular surface with small projections on the final punched edge, if the punched edge is then subject to metal plating, unevenness in the plating layer occurs due to the small projections and irregular surface. To this end, it is necessary for the punched edge to be subject to a secondary treatment or process to flatten or smooth the edges, prior to the plating.
Alternatively, in a known shaving process in which a blank is punched by upper and lower punching dies that are located as close as possible, the punched surface is smooth and flat enough to be used as a contact surface without the secondary flattening or smoothing treatment or process. Nevertheless, in .this conventional shaving process, a provisional contact surface is formed by a single punching, and accordingly, the corner (edge) portions of the punched surface are usually at right angles. Consequently, if the contact surface comes into contact with a mating member to be associated therewith at an inclination angle, no surface contact therebetween takes place. Namely, only a line contact occurs at the edge portions, thus resulting in the formation of scratches on the contact surface of the mating member and a failure to make a good stable electrical contact.